Not Quite a Fairy Tale
by thefastlane
Summary: The road to finding your prince isn't always quite the simple path it is in fairy tales. Life is messy, complicated, crazy...but most of all, unforgettable. NOTE Link to trailer now in my profile and chapter four now up!
1. Pride

**NOT QUITE A FAIRY TALE**

_type: chapters._

_pairings: you'll see soon enough. pairings may change, and besides, i don't want to give anything away or scare off any readers. but i know many of you will be happy with the direction of the story. ;)_

_synopsis: first crushes, first cars, first loves, the adolescent years – they're awkward. they're painful. messy, embarrassing, exciting, and most of all – they're unforgettable._

_inspiration: haha, don't laugh, but "kiss the girl" by ashley tisdale. i SAID don't laugh! and also, i came across this gorgeous versace dress the other day that i totally cannot afford, and since i couldn't wear it, miley gets to. 'k, really, stop laughing :)_

_reviews: much appreciated. constructive criticism also appreciated. praise it, flame it, just let me know what you think!_

_disclaimer: obviously i own at life (ignore my self-indulgent humor) but i don't own any of these characters. i also don't own any of the brand names or labels mentioned in this story, though i wish i did because they are all fabulous. i own nothing, except any characters who are not a) existing celebs and/or b) in or on the show. i'm not associated with the disney channel or hannah montana in any way. yeah. y'all know this stuff._

_rating: i'm gonna keep it at T for now, mostly for suggestiveness and mild cussing. may change._

_a/n: i'm so happy "glamorous" got such sweet reviews. thanks all, i really enjoyed reading your reviews…and if you haven't checked it out yet, you should! anyway, i really wanted to portray the HM characters in the more insignificant parts of their life, as well as the bigger ones._

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** one. **

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_"Please enjoy the music while your party is reached."_

_How many times had he heard that in the past seven days? The familiar chorus of the new Justin Timberlake song filled his ear. She wasn't picking up. The song ended and he heard Miley chirp, "Hey guys, it's Miley. Leave a message!"_

_He sighed, running a hand through his thick, blonde hair. This was normally the point where he hung up. He'd been calling from a restricted number, just in case she actually picked up when he was in the process of backing out. She hadn't picked up, not once. He could be setting himself up for major embarrassment, seeing as the last time he'd saw her, she pushed him off a fence, but…he'd be back soon enough anyway._

_Beep!_

_He cleared his throat. "Miley…it's, uh, me…Jake. It's been, like, a week since I left and I just wanted to let you know I…I'm coming back. Long story short, uh, they added a few more episodes to the Zombie High season, and since that's my first commitment…we're doing the shooting in Malibu and…well, yeah. I'm not really sure why you haven't been, um, well…just call me back. Or not. What I mean is…" He was sure he sounded like a complete idiot, so he just quickly decided to stop himself. "So okay. Uh, bye."_

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"Mm…" I groaned as my alarm clock went off. Six A.M. Time to start life as Miley Stewart. Blindly I reached over to my night table and slammed down on what felt like my alarm clock.

"Ow!" I screeched as my palm caught the sharp edge of a picture frame. I shot up in my bed and brought my throbbing palm to my mouth. Great. _Now_ I was awake. The alarm was still making that horrible sound. "Shut up!" I muttered, hitting the button softly this time.

I hadn't slept much the night before. My phone rang a few times. It was from a restricted number, but I had no doubt in my mind who it was. _Jake Ryan_. The sometimes sweet, mostly obnoxious, and always cute Jake Ryan. I didn't need to talk to him. He actually thought _I_, Miley Stewart, would wait around four months for his ass to return. _God, he can be such an egomaniac._ And whatever. Four months was just way too long. Any girl who'd wait around four months looked desperate. Jake liked me because I wasn't desperate. By now he was probably off making out with one of his co-stars anyway, and if he wasn't, he would be soon enough. I should have known better than to like a movie star. I was so over him anyway. I picked up a brush mindlessly and swept it through my hair.

Jackson popped his head in the doorway and piped, "Hurry up, I'm leaving in five minutes if you want a…um. Are you aware you're brushing your hair with a toothbrush? …On second thought, you think I can get that for eBay?" I scowled and realizing he was right, hurled the toothbrush at his head. He ducked just in time and darted downstairs.

Toothbrush for a hairbrush? Gross. Get a grip, Stewart. So I was a _little_ tired, that's all…All right, fine. The truth is, I had my mind on other things. Okay, people. Specific people. People who kiss people and then abruptly leave to shoot movies in Romania.

I got dressed listlessly, carelessly pairing a pair of jeans that were cut off at the knee with a white tanktop and rubber flip-flops. There was this heavy sort of feeling dragging me down, making every move a little more sluggish, a little harder. "Please," I asserted aloud. "I don't miss him one bit."

I found myself repeating the same thing about an hour later, when Lilly confronted me in the hallway. "Miley! Just admit you like him! I've got a bump the size of Texas on my head thanks to you. So why don't you just pick up your phone and figure things out. And I can't believe you pushed him off a fence. If that's your strategy, no wonder he left."

"I don't like him anymore."

She rolled her eyes. "First you blew your nose with Willis…"

"Huh?"

She knocked lightly on my head. I pushed her hand away. "Hello, metaphor? Anyway, you tried to make him jealous, he kisses you, and now you don't _like_ him? Please. I see right through your pretty little face. You guys have the chemistry."

"You suck at chemistry," I muttered.

With a fake, stuffy accent, she responded, "On the contrary, I am an expert at chemistry." Dropping her tone, she added, "Of the _heart_, that is." She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"I'm over him!" I insisted, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Oh, please, Stewart, you love him," Oliver, clad in a ridiculous bright orange shirt, chimed in from behind me. I hadn't even known he was standing there. I spun around and smacked him on the head.

"What is this, pry into Miley's life day?" I cried, exasperated. "Jake Ryan is an arrogant, selfish, conceited jerk!" I breathed hard. That felt good.

"Jeez, all right," Lilly retorted. "But just know that the more you say it, the less I believe you. Now I've got a chemistry test about moles. Moles? Ew. Well. Toodles!" She smirked at me, spinning on her heel, all smug and all-knowing and…ugh! I hated being wrong. And what's worse, I hated when she was right. I caught a flash of her red hoodie as she marched off.

"Lilly!" I yelled after her. "Wipe that smile off your face because you are _so_ wrong, it's…it's not even funny! You're wronger than, than…than…" I was completely flustered. I turned to Oliver. "Oliver…you believe me, right?" I glared at him. He was trying to hide the same smug grin. "Oh, not you too!"

"Please don't hit me again?" he requested in a small voice.

"Ugh!" I groaned, sighing again. I declared, "This is useless! For the _last time_, I am _over_ Jake Ryan! He's gone now, and I don't care one bit!"

Oliver's eyes widened. "Uh…Miles…"

Good. I was getting somewhere. I cut him off, pronouncing, "Jake Ryan is a jerk, and I don't care what he does with his life as long as it has _nothing_ to do with me!"

Oliver's face scrunched up and his eyes flicked past me, at something over my shoulder. "Um…"

I came to a slow and awful realization. _He can't be. He's in Romania. He's supposed to be a zillion miles away! _"He's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Uh…yup."

I turned slowly. Those familiar blue eyes were staring straight at me, just inches from my face, cast in an expressionless face. My heart stopped, then quickened. Maybe he didn't hear anything. Feigning friendliness, I began, "Jake! Uh…how much of that did you hear?"

His face fell, but he quickly covered it with a smile. A forced smile, the kind I had on my face. "No it's…it's cool, Miley. I understand."

"No, Jake, I didn't mean it like that…" I attempted feebly. "I didn't…"

"No." His voice was strained. "I get it. I won't bother you anymore."

He quickly took off, a throng of girls in a rush after him, probably thrilled at the chance to comfort him.

And all I could do was watch and feel more miserable than I had before.

"Well, I guess now he gets it too," Oliver remarked. I almost smacked him again, but he quickly realized I wasn't in the mood for jokes. He slung his arm over my shoulder and said, "Come on, I'll walk with you to English."

I went with him, shaking my head. This time, I had _really_ blown it.

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_a/n: This is NOT the original chapter one, it has been revised slightly to correct errors and to accommodate later chapters in the story. Don't forget to review! _


	2. And Here We Go Again

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**NOT QUITE A FAIRY TALE.**

** two. **

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"Coast clear?" came a hushed voice from the main door to the bathroom, which was opened slightly.

I glanced around and checked under the stalls for feet. "I think so."

Moments later, the door swung open and Lilly flew in, ponytail bouncing, nearly slamming into the large counter where the sinks were. Her hands flew out and saved her just in time. "Okay." Her breaths were shallow and her face was pinkish and glistening, in that way it does moments before actual sweat pours out. Panting, she announced, "Okay. I think…I've got…the…story."

I hopped up onto the counter, careful to avoid any wet spots. From a seated position I leaned forward, my feet just barely skimming the ground. I clacked my flip-flop against my foot impatiently. "Well?" I couldn't take being in the dark as to why Jake was back anymore.

She shot me a warning look, all squinty eyes, while she tried to regain normal breathing. She held a finger to my face, indicating she still was regaining her breath.

"Sorry," I whined. "I just can't believe what just happened. I am. Such. An. Idiot!"

"A proud idiot, at that," she added, apparently recovered from her dash to the bathroom. "I bet you still won't admit you like him."

I sighed heavily, raising an eyebrow at her. "How many times do I have to say I'm over –"

"You know, Miley, you've been quite resentful all day. Maybe I shouldn't tell you…" Lilly teased.

"Oh, you _better_," I threatened playfully, finally cracking what, if you really, really looked into it, sort of resembled a smile, or at the very least, the beginning of one. "I've been known to do evil things with the silent treatment."

Lilly ignored my brilliant quip and began matter-of-factly. "Okay, so here's the deal. He backed out of the movie so he'll be around for quite some—"

My eyes widened. "He, um…he backed out? Do you know why?" I began nervously. My hands were clasped, and I squeezed them tighter. What if—

Lilly sighed loudly. "I was going to _tell_ you, and I will, if you shut up for thirty seconds." I nodded. "Good. Okay. Anyway, he's doing a few more Zombie High episodes, so they got Frankie Muniz back for the movie. God, I feel bad for those casting directors…"

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. So he hadn't come back for me, exactly. Well, I guess not at all. _So what? You don't like him anyway_. Lilly was still rambling about the movie and suddenly stopped. She looked at me hard, brow furrowing as she focused in on my expression. "Hey, Miles, you okay?" she asked softly.

I blinked a few times. "Fine. Absolutely fine."

It was quite obvious that I was not fine. She stared at me a moment longer, chewing the inside of her cheek. I saw her thinking, saw her trying to lure out the sadness that I was trying to suppress. She knew me well enough to know I wasn't going to let up. She put her hand on my shoulder and hugged me quickly. "Promise you'll be okay?"

"On every last Manolo." I forced a smile.

Lilly sighed. "'K, well, I gotta get back to chem. I raced through that stupid test. See you next period in algebra?"

"Yep."

"Okay then." She turned and exited through the swinging door quickly.

I hung back for a moment. Still propped on the edge of the counter, I turned my head slightly over my shoulder, pissed at myself to find a tear just below my right eye.

I wiped it on my shoulder, hopped off the counter, and marched out the door, never once looking back.

It was time to move on.

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I found Lilly quickly after English was over so I wouldn't have to walk into algebra alone. I had absolutely _no_ plan for what to do when I saw Jake. We fell into step in the crowded hallway, walking silently, with nothing but the sound of her thousand key chains on her backpack chiming with every step, and the buzz of the other kids in the hallway.

Until I blurted out, "Do you think I should apologize to him? Even if I'm, you know, over it. It was kind of mean, right?"

Lilly looked at me sheepishly. "Well, Oliver did say you were just a _tad_ harsh."

I groaned as we approached room 11. "I guess he didn't deserve—"

I was interrupted by Rachel Giovanni's silvery laugh from inside the room. I froze and looked up, only to be greeted by the sight of Rachel, amidst the near full room of students, with her long, swingy brown hair, with one arm slung over the shoulder a seated boy with shaggy blonde hair, comfortably resting on his thigh and leaning into his chest. "Guess Malibu just has something Romania doesn't, hm, Jake?" She looked up and saw me standing a few feet away, and narrowed her eyes at me, the corners of her mouth turning upward. Jake's gaze quickly followed hers to…me.

I panicked and looked away. Quickly, I grabbed Lilly's arm and without meaning to, let out the loudest, most forced laugh. "Oh, Lil, you just crack me up. Can't be in a bad mood around you!"

She shot me a weird look. Shoving me down into the closest seat, she leaned over and demanded in a hushed voice, "What are you _doing_?"

"I—"

"Class, take your seats," Mrs. Thomas's voice boomed as she strolled into the room. Lilly dove into a nearby desk, like many of those around her, including Rachel. I looked helplessly at Lilly and shrugged. She threw her hands up and shrugged too.

I silently thanked the gods for saving me from a very awkward moment, and let my blue Longchamp tote slide off my shoulder and on to the floor. I leaned over to pull out my notebook and pencil case. At the very moment I returned to an upright position, I caught a flash of blonde hair, only three seats directly in front of me, and a moment later I caught a very blue pair of eyes locked on mine.

My mind lost its ability to think clearly as I lowered my notebook to the desk. Was this the part where I mouthed _I'm sorry_? Smiled? Looked away? He had no expression on his face. Did that mean he—

Mrs. Thomas cleared her throat, and our moment was broken as we snapped our heads to look forward. "Mr. Ryan." She smiled, a bit giddily, if you ask me, and continued, "It is so wonderful to have our little star back."

"Well," he began slowly. Then suddenly he stood up, spun around to face the class, and…grinned? "Couldn't leave all my fans here missing me. I know how hard it must have been without me, ladies, but here I am," he proclaimed cockily, and turned back to Mrs. Thomas. Was he _serious_? Then, I'm not totally sure, because his back was facing me, but I think he winked at her, because she brought her left hand to her heart and smiled fondly at him.

_Creep_. At that very moment I decided I was not going to apologize, because he _was_ a jerk. A jerk who had taken all of first period to get over me and move on to Rachel. And I _was_ going to get over him. From that moment on, Jake Ryan was over. Regardless of how much that cerulean Lacoste polo brought out his eyes or skin bronzed to perfection. _Stop being so shallow_, I scolded myself.

Nevertheless, it'd probably be easier to get over him if I didn't have to look at him because my brain tended to abandon reason. Which, I decided, wouldn't be so hard – I mean, we only had a few classes together. Other than that, I never even had to look at him.

Jake sat back down and Mrs. Thomas's smiling face returned to its usual stern demeanor. "Today we will be reviewing for Thursday's test." Several groans erupted among the class. "Remember, it will be on all of chapter seven, and the first half of chapter—"

_"I'm bringing sexy back!"_ My eyes shot open as I quickly reached into the pocket of my jeans, pulled my cell phone out, and hit the silent button, but it was already too late – everyone was staring at me. _Shitshitshit._ Mrs. Thomas glowered at me. "Miley Stewart. While I appreciate your bringing sexy back, perhaps I may remind you that this is something be done _outside_ of the classroom if we don't want detention?" I heard a chorus of snickers, and she smirked, clearly quite pleased with her oh-so-clever remark.

I cowered into my seat and sheepishly began, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Thom—" But mid-apology, I realized the number on the phone was my manager. "Um, my uh…doctor is calling with important news. Can I just um, take this in the hallway?"

She sighed audibly and reluctantly nodded. "Just this once, Miss Stewart. The next time will equal detention."

"Thanks!" I hopped up and darted to the back of the room. Ducking into the hallway, I quickly snapped open my phone, hoping I hadn't missed Matteo's call.

"Hello?" I managed, breathless.

"Miley, baby, it's me." There was a ton of laughter in the background and some kind of loud music. "Oh, God, darling. Have you heard Lilo is back in rehab _again_?"

I scoffed but shook my head fondly. Matteo, my manager, a flamboyant bubble of a man, always unaware the rest of the world existed to do anything other than pick up his phone calls. "Matteo! I'm in class!" I scolded him, trying to keep my smile from lacing my words.

He ignored me, like always. "But, oh! She has the_ sexi_est legs these days! Honey, I have to fit you in with her trainer."

"_Matteo_! I love you but this is not vital!" I cried, exasperated. "Do. You. Have anything important to tell me?"

He breathed loudly. "Jeez, boo, don't you go diva on me now." He quickly changed his tone from light to strictly business. "Anyway, honey, I know it's short notice; I thought you were done for the season too, but they added a few extra episodes to the Zombie High season. Didn't feel like the last few eps were ready. Now, here's the deal—they're willing to work around your schedule, but they want to start shooting as soon as possible. Can you make it on set today by four thirty?"

Zombie High. As in the show where I played the love interest of Jake Ryan also known as the guy I had just sworn out of my life.

I gulped. How the hell was I supposed to forget how amazingly cute he was when I had to pretend to be in love with him for a show? _Please, somebody. Just kill me._

Here goes nothing. "I'll be there."

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a/n: I think Miley's dad is her manager in the show, but I'm not sure. Anyway, not in this story. Can't wait to hear your reviews! I apologize for taking so long to update, but the next chapter should be up soon, as I am almost done writing it. ;)


	3. Crush

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**NOT QUITE A FAIRY TALE.**

** three. **

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I held my breath, trying hard not to lose my cool. But jeez, when was this guy going to finish putting on my damned makeup? A girl can only pout her lips for so long.

The set was relatively busy; I was seated on a stool with a script in my lap, as a near emaciated man with a nose that looked more like a beak than anything else, clad purple jeans, carefully outlined my lips with heaps of black lipstick. Apparently he didn't speak much English, but his annoyed face spoke louder than any words could. I wanted to apologize for being so fidgety, but I'm sure he'd wind up even more pissed, so keeping my face still, I focused my eyes on my lines for the next scene.

I'd just finished filming a solo scene, and hadn't seen Jake yet. I wasn't even sure if he was on the set, but I knew he'd be in the next scene. A scene which involved a great deal of physical contact, might I add. I couldn't shake the image of Rachel in his lap.

"Hannah!" I flicked my gaze up from my script. It was Jake, smiling, a few feet away from me. He was already in makeup and costume.

"We done," the makeup artist informed me with a heavy accent and one last disdainful glance, stepping away to allow Jake to come closer to me. "Don't make mess."

Jake waited until the guy was out of earshot before breaking into a huge grin. He laughed, "That's Pierre. Don't mind him; he hates his job. He was in some French rock band or something, but they kicked him out right before they got big. Bitter little guy, I'm afraid."

I giggled and hopped up from my stool, deciding it was okay for Hannah Montana to be friendly to him. After all, as far as he knew, I had no idea who Miley was. "Well, it's good to see you again, Jake." I hesitated for a moment but somewhere found the courage to add, "I hope you're in better spirits than you were last time. You know, that girl." He stared at me blankly. I coughed. "With the interesting name?" _Jeez, Miley, be a little more obvious._

"Um. Yeah." His expression didn't change. I wished he could've been a _little_ more expressive. I had no idea what he was thinking. He ignored my question completely, placing his hand on my arm lightly. I blushed a little, hoping he wouldn't notice. God, our faces were close. _You're mad at him. Oh, wait. Miley is. _His voice dropped to a soft tone and he looked me straight in the eye. "Listen, I know you were a little freaked out last time by the whole kissing scene. It's a lot to get used to. And yeah, I was probably a little bit of a jerk with the whole Thunder Mint thing. So…um, if you want me to take the reigns on this whole thing, you know you can just relax and I'll do the rest…" He looked a little embarrassed, then suddenly put on this huge cocky grin. "After all, girls would kill to be you right now."

I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes. Every time he started to sound sweet and genuine and…ugh! If he didn't do this whole cocky thing in the first place, maybe I would have liked him from the beginning and wouldn't be where I was right now. "I'll handle myself just fine, thanks." I spun on my heel, adding in a singsong voice, "See you in a few, Mr. Ryan!"

"I didn't mean—Hannah!" he called after me. I smiled to myself, thinking about how much easier he was making it _not_ to like him. The truth was simple: Jake Ryan had two personalities. He was two people. And I was _not _one for polygamy. End of crush.

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"Cut!" the director, Mo, shouted, exasperated. I jumped apart from Jake, whose hand was still in mine. "Hannah! I love you, darling, but it would help a great deal if you would _look_ your Zombie Slayer in the eyes during these very _tender moments_!" Mo was a tall black man with dreadlocks and rimless glasses. He was really artsy looking, very handsome, and at the moment, very annoyed.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, trying to loosen my fingers from Jake's grip without looking at him. Finally, he let go. "I'll get it this time, I promise."

"Alright. Hannah, let's get you back in the corner." Five people including Pierre swarmed me, fluffing at my hair and my puffy white dress and touching up my makeup and whatnot. I felt uncomfortable with hands all over me, but hey. Showbiz. The director barked out directions to everyone in the room as I slowly backed myself into the corner where my character had fallen in a previous scene. I lowered myself to the floor and lay down on the tiles of the faux bathroom as a professional looking woman in black slacks rearranged the position of my arms and head. _Deep breaths. You can do this. Forget about Rachel. Hell, forget about Miley too. And Hannah Montana. You're Zerronda. _Thinking about the ridiculous name of my character made me think about how ridiculous I must have looked in my costume attire. I started snickering, but quickly covered it up with coughing when I saw Mo shoot me a funny look.

_Right. _I thought about my character. She was weak, far away from her home. She was in love with Jake's character and torn between the prospect of giving up her role as princess to be with him or returning home, never to see him again. I took a deep breath.

"Jake, take it from the top. Take fifteen. Positions. Ready. We're rolling in five. And…action!"

"Zerronda? Is that you?" Jake called, stumbling into the bathroom through smoke being poured into the room by machines around the sides.

I coughed weakly, raising my head slowly so that it would appear I was having difficulty. "I-I-you…you came back for me?" I questioned unsteadily, slowly propping myself up by my elbows. Jake rushed to my side, kneeling beside me and placing his hand gently on the back of my head. He looked me straight in the eyes tenderly and I swear my heart skipped a beat. His touch was light, but my head was tingling.

"Save your energy, Zerronda. You need your strength. I didn't think…" he trailed off on his words, appearing choked up. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I couldn't do it," I burst out, sitting upright. I turned my face away from him, but he caught my hand. He stood, pulling me to my feet. Jake was six or seven inches taller than me, and we were standing only a few inches apart. Quite a bit closer than we had been during the previous take, actually. The look in his eyes was so compassionate, and intense and…_real_, and I…I was entranced. The rest of the room faded and time slowed to a crawl.

"Couldn't do what?" he asked, his eyes searching mine, one hand gripping mine tightly and the other curling into a fist that lightly brushed my cheek.

I squeezed my eyes a little, praying I could get out another tear. I felt my eyes welling up slightly, and a stray tear slipped down my face slowly. Perfect. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Jake's. This was the furthest we'd gotten into the scene until now. He did smell minty, actually. And clean. Mm.

He uncurled the fist and placed his hand on my jaw line, stroking it softly as I broke into tears. "I couldn't leave. I can't go back and be their Princess. I know it's the world to give up, but how could I leave you behind? Do we not all spend our lives looking for a purpose, searching for something true? For…love? I couldn't leave, not when I'm…I'm in…"

His eyes were on mine. Was this a real moment? Were we close enough that he knew I was Miley? Were the electrical impulses I was feeling in my fingers, where our hands were touching, were they real? I stopped thinking. He recited his line, "I love you," with the perfect amount of affection and spontaneity and authenticity but he didn't quite make the full line out, because at this point I yanked my hand from the one he was holding, brought both my hands to his face, pull it to mine, and kissed him hard on the mouth.

I felt him tense up a little, but he loosened up just as quickly. _Crap. I'm supposed to be acting,_ I remembered. In the script he had made the first move. _Oh God. What have I done? But wait, nobody's saying anything. And God, his lips were soft. Mmm._

I felt his arms encircle my body and his hands settled upon the small of my back. He drew me in closer. Our bodies were touching straight down. His lips parted slightly. Were we still supposed to be kissing?

He pulled back all of a sudden, keeping his hands wrapped around my waist. I blinked dizzily, unable to focus my eyes. Jake smiled at me, raising both eyebrows. Laughter threatened his tone as he quipped, "You know Zerronda, if I had known you kissed like that, I never would have let you out of my sight in the first place."

I blushed, forcing a grin back at him. That wasn't the right line. That scene was totally wrong, we had messed up again and—

"Cut!" Mo cried out. I snapped out of my trance, fully realizing my surroundings once again. The crew was all staring at us, breaking out into grins and whoops and cheers. "Hannah! You are _brilliant_, my darling! The passion, the intensity, the emotions! You nailed it! And Jake Ryan, the improvision! That line was perfect. I love you. Ah! You are my little angels!" Mo jumped out of his director's seat, nearly trampling over two camera guys and almost knocking me over as he pulled me and Jake into a crushing hug. "Forget the script. My stars!" God, he had a tight grip.

"Mo!" I managed. "Can't. Breathe…"

"Oh! Right." He let go, and Jake let go of me, grinning ecstatically, his face no longer holding any of the intense emotions it had just moments ago. I smiled at him too, trying to remember that he was happy because we got the scene. He was so much more professional than me. I had to remember this wasn't real. In a teasing tone he joked, "Just couldn't resist me, huh, Montana? No. I'm just kidding. You were awesome. Great improv." He squeezed my shoulder and took off, disappearing past crew members calling, "I gotta pee!" I watched him until he was gone.

Mo grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. "Hannah. You had me convinced you were in love with him. Maybe you should give up singing for a while and try the whole acting thing, huh?" He winked at me. "Well. We're almost done for today. Just one more scene, and I need you to get into costume, 'k? That purple thing? Marla will help you out."

"Thanks, Mo!" I smiled sweetly, laying the charm on thick. "It was all your amazing directing though. What can I say? You just inspired me to go with it!"

"That's what I like to hear, honey. Now scoot!" He gave me a playful shove and wandered off to talk to some crew members.

I have no idea _why_ I decided to improvise like that. Our faces were so close and the chemistry was so real and…God, I had to remember who I was dealing with here. Jake Ryan. I had to stop letting how cute he was get to me.

But something was kind of bothering me. I'd been around cute guys before. And there wasn't that spark. I didn't go crazy and grab them and kiss them.

I had to remember that I was acting. And even if I wasn't, he was. It's not like he felt the things I was feeling. He was just doing his job. Me, I was a singer. He was the actor, and he was damned good at it. I had to remind myself that it was just a scene. He switched so easily from intense emotion to platonic humor. Me, I couldn't say the same.

Oh, jeez. My heart, at the moment, didn't care if he was acting. It was confused. Alright, so that thing I said about the end of my crush? Okay. So I lied. Not end of crush.

Worsening of crush.

Wait. _Crush!?!_

All I can say is…_shit_.

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a/n: How about a bribe? The more reviews, the faster the next chapter goes up. :) Thanks to all who've reviewed so far! I really appreciate everything you all have to say. Can't wait to hear your feedback!


	4. PLEASE READ!

WATCH THE TRAILER!!

Hi all. Not a chapter update, that will probably be up later today or tomorrow. Just wanted to let you all know that I made a trailer for NQAFT that is now up. To view it, you can either go to my profile and click the link, or copy and paste the address below.

If you watch it and are wondering where I got some of the sound clips from (for example, at one point you hear Jake say "The movie, I dropped out"), because they are not part of the show, I actually picked apart existing sound bytes and rearranged them until I made them say what I wanted. It took awhile to get them not to sound choppy, but I finally get them sounding smooth. I've had some experience with video editing, so I think it turned out really well. My only gripe is that I am on a Mac, and most of the video clips I found were in WMV form. I had to convert them so they were usable in iMovie, but in doing that there is that pesky little tag from Flip4Mac on some of the clips. Sorry for that, but it shouldn't be much of a bother.

I hope you all enjoy it and post lots of comments. I love your feedback. Enjoy!


	5. Date Disaster

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**NOT QUITE A FAIRY TALE.**

** four. **

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"…and then, I mean, I was supposed to anyway, but I kissed him! Like, I really kissed him. And God, it was so good, but good in like a pre-kiss way, 'cause, I guess, technically, we were acting, and now…and now I think I like him!" I moaned, pretending to pull my hair.

Lilly was sitting on the beach towel next to me, knees curled into her chest, staring off at the ocean blankly. She blinked. "Huh? Who?"

I snapped my fingers in her face. "What do you mean, _who_?! Jake! Who else would I be talking about? Where's your head at?"

She shook her head slightly and rolled over onto her stomach, lying flat and stretching her arms over her head. "Untie the back for me?" I obliged, pulling at the back strings of her yellow bikini so she could avoid tan lines. She sighed and began, "Something totally weird happened today. Well, not really _weird_ but, um…okay, really weird."

I couldn't see her face so I lowered myself onto my back until I was lying parallel to her, face-up. "What's up?" I quipped, turning my head to look at her.

She chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment, and then carefully began to speak. "You know Samantha Wyler? From gym?"

I nodded. She closed her eyes. "Well, today, she came up to me after dodgeball and started asking me all these questions about Oliver? Like if we have sleepovers and where he likes to hang out? Right? And she was being all nosy and stuff? And then she asked if I knew who_ Oliver_ liked?"

I shrugged. I was trying to listen, really I was, but I didn't really see the point of her story. "So? How's that weird? Maybe she likes him. She's pretty. And she's sweet. Maybe she'll get him to grow up."

She snorted. "Why would she like him? I mean…don't you think she's sort of…out of his league? I mean, it's Oliver."

I stretched my arms out carelessly. Since when did Lilly care who liked Oliver? I yawned, "I think it's cute. Did you tell him?"

"Why would I do that?" she retorted. She seemed really huffy. Jeez.

I started to give her a look, but she quickly chirped, "I'm going to get a Coke or something. You want anything?"

I looked at her strangely and shook my head. "Okay! Bye!"

She ran off, kicking bits of sand in my face. "Hey!" I scolded, sitting up abruptly, but she was already gone, running towards Rico's.

"Miley!" I heard my name and turned to look behind me, only to see a very out-of-breath Oliver standing a few inches from my towel, panting and bent over with his hands on his knees, clad only plaid swim trunks. "You have to help me. Now!" He feigned exhaustion and pretended to pass out where Lilly had been lying.

I raised both eyebrows at him and laughed. "And how may I help you?" I teased.

He sat up looked around. "Uh…where'd Lilly go?" he questioned uncertainly.

"To get a Coke. Now what is it?" I was intrigued now. I couldn't imagine what had been so important that he'd left the beach football game he'd been engaged in just moments prior, and few hundred feet from where Lilly and I were. I mean, football's not _that_ exciting. At least not to me.

"Okay, well, anyway. Samantha Wyler just interrupted our game to _ask me out_!"

I patted him on the shoulder. "That's awesome, Oliver."

A look of utter panic crossed his face and his eyes got wide. "No!" he protested heatedly. "I can't go!"

"Why not?"

"Because!" he whined, smacking himself in the forehead. "Every time I'm around her, I get nervous and I say something retarded! She said we should hang out sometime and I asked her if she liked to eat!"

I burst out laughing, but he looked so pitiful that I abruptly stopped. "Um. What happened to Smokin' Oken, huh?"

He shot me a look. "Not now. You are _so_ immature sometimes."

"Me?! Immature?!" Oliver was way too much sometimes. I love the boy, but sometimes I think he's totally delusional. Which, he sorta is. But anyway.

"Yes. You." He gasped and another sudden panicked look crossed his face. "Quick, check to see if I had any boogers when I was talking to her." He tipped his head back and stuck his nostrils in my face.

"Ew! No" I cried out disgustedly. Oh, boy. He was right about needing help. Maybe Lilly was right too. "Getcha schnozz outta my face, boy!"

"Jeez! Don't be such a—I mean…okay, okay," he amended, leaning back a little. "So the deal is, we're going to meet at the pizza place tonight," he continued.

"Who is?" piped Lilly. She appeared next to Oliver, holding a can of Diet Coke in one hand and taking a massive bite of the hot dog in her other hand. She plopped down next to Oliver.

"Oh, thank God you're here!" He breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed her and gave her a desperate, awkward side-hug, from which she backed away from, narrowing her eyebrows at him. "Uh…can I help you?" she asked, looking at him strangely, like he was from another planet.

"_You_ have to help me!" he wailed. "Miley's plans always wind up in _disaster_!"

"Hey!"

"Ugh!" he moaned, burying his face in his hands. Then his head shot up, and his frown began to morph into an impish grin.

"Oh, no—" I began in protest.

"Pleasepleaseplease come with me on my date? Both of you? And make sure I don't act like an idiot?"

Lilly looked shocked for a moment, but quickly covered it up. "_Date_?! Samantha asked you out?!"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "How'd you know it was her?"

Horror colored her face. "Uh…" she trailed off. "You told me? Didn't he tell me, Miley? You heard him."

"Yup! You did!" I agreed, quick to back up Lilly.

Oliver was none the wiser, lost in his own world. He was clearly devising some sort of master plan in his head. "Okay, so listen. We'll triple date. All you have to do is say lots of great stuff about me. And make sure I don't say anything dumb. You don't even have to do anything! I'll make sure you guys have dates with, um…hot guys. I could get those twins that just moved here! Brad and Teddy! I'll bring them."

"Your surfer friends?" I exclaimed. "The hot blonde guys?"

"I don't wanna go out with a clone freak!" Lilly snapped. "What makes you think you know what kind of guys I'm into anyway?" What was her deal?

"Lilly!" I cried, exasperated. "I've been dying to meet them. They're _so_ cute! You were just telling me!"

"Please?" he begged. "You don't have to like them, you just have to show up. One date!"

"Lil, it's not like we have anything else to do," I reasoned, scooting between her and Oliver slinging an arm around both of them. _Wait a minute._ I lit up and pretended I wasn't doing this for totally selfish purposes. I grinned exaggeratedly and added in a phony voice, "Besides, anything to help a friend, eh, Lil?" I slapped her on the back. This was just the thing to take my mind off Jake.

"Ow!" she whispered, then glared at me. "I don't want to go help out this goon!"

I rolled my eyes at her. She was being totally ridiculous. "It's just a date. What's the big deal?" I whispered back.

Oliver was too busy in his own private celebration. He excitedly cried, "I love you guys! 7:30 at Ellie's? Look sexy, ladies!" and ran off.

I turned to Lilly and grinned. "We're going out with the surfer twins! We're going out with the surfers!" I sang, a rush of excitement washing through my veins. If he could move on, so could I.

"Yeah, yeah. Super," Lilly grumbled.

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"So did I tell you that everyone thinks I look like Brad Pitt? And it's funny 'cause my name's Brad too? So it's like—"

I stared at Brad blankly and pretended to be mildly interested. "Twice."

"Oh, well," he flashed me a big smile and

My face froze and I forced a smile. "Um, me and Lilly are just going to uh…go to the bathroom." I raced out of my chair, stopped at her booth along the way, and dragged her out of hers. "It's only a few minutes, Teddy Bear!" she called.

I ducked into the bathroom, Lilly trailing behind. Once the swinging door had closed, I let out a huge exasperated scream and smacked my forehead. "Kill me!" I whipped my Mac Lipglass out of my purse and squeezed some onto my lips. If I had to be miserable at least I could look pretty.

"Oh my God!" Lilly gushed dreamily, ignoring my misery and grabbing my sleeve, causing me to get lip gloss all over my cheek. "Teddy is so _cute_! I'm having _so_ much fun!"

I glared at her for a moment before wiping the clear gloss with the back of my hand. "For someone who didn't even want to go, you sure change your mind quickly. And also, I hate you."

She laughed. "Oh, come on. Just because you got twin that's in love with himself doesn't mean you can't be happy for me. And he can't be that bad. If you just look at him and tune him out, it's all good!"

I groaned. "I beg to differ. I am going to_ kill_ Oliver." Oliver had accidentally drenched his date in ketchup about a minute into the date, right after we'd all ordered and she'd stormed out. Naturally, he left shortly after. Our server decided we couldn't hold a six-person table if there were only four of us, because another group was waiting for it, so she split us up into two booths. Which was fine with me, until Brad opened his mouth and started talking about his favorite topic – himself! And how he looked like Brad Pitt. And how his name was Brad. And how he was the most popular kid at his old school. And how he was starting a modeling career. And, oh yeah, how he looked like Brad Pitt!

"I'm just gonna make an excuse to leave," I decided. I couldn't take another minute of this self-loving…psycho! Enough was enough. "Will you be okay with Teddy?"

"I'll be more than okay," Lilly assured me, winking. "What are you gonna tell him?"

"The truth, of course," I contended.

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Which is?"

"Um." I thought for a moment. "Uh…that I just remembered my dog's funeral is in an hour!"

She scoffed. "You don't even have a dog. Just tell him the real truth!"

"Easy for you to say!" I smirked, as we both exited the bathroom and walked towards our respective tables. "I'll call you later," I mouthed to her.

"There you are!" Brad proclaimed loudly.

I slid into the chair across from the table and sucked in my lower lip. "Listen, uh. Brad. How do I say this – I'm having such a great time but I actually, um –"

"Yes?" he leaned in closer.

My attention diverted quickly. A look of bewilderment crossed my face suddenly as I caught someone out of the corner of my eye entering the restaurant with a group of sweaty boys. Was that — no. What was he doing here? _Are you serious?_

"You were saying?" Brad asked cockily.

My eyes shot open and refocused on his. "Uh." _Quick. Time's running out. Do something! Did Jake see me? Do I care? Quick!_

I bit my lip and prepared my gag reflex. And then, when I was sure Jake had spotted me, I grabbed Brad's face and kissed him.

I tried to pretend like I wasn't totally and utterly repulsed and held my breath as I kissed him. _Only a few more seconds, a few more_…

By the time I pulled away, mainly because I couldn't stand kissing this pig for a moment longer, Jake was gone. _I am brilliant. Ha. Now let _him_ be the jealous one._

"Wow, Miley!" Brad whooped, then winked at me suggestively. "Am I that irresistible?"

Um…gross? _Oh god_, I thought as I realized and came to terms with what I had just done. Oops. Ew! "Uh…yeah," I rambled, racking my brain for something to say. Nothing was coming. I finally blurted out, "I gotta…go…bye!"

I have never gotten out of a place quicker in my life.

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I couldn't wait to pry Jake for information when I got onto set the next morning. So excited, in fact, that I accidentally showed up a half hour early. I invited Lilly, but she thought that even the prospect of being on the set of Zombie High wasn't enough of a reason to get up before noon on a Saturday morning. My dad was doing yard work. Matteo had gone off to get some coffee and planned to meet me later. So I was alone.

Jake wasn't there when I arrived. Only a few crew members were around, and Mo, so I greeted him quickly and went into my dressing room. I decided to wait in there, flopping onto the large white leather couch and flipping through the latest Us Weekly to see if there were any articles about me or anybody else I knew, for that matter.

I had barely made it to the second page when a heard the door slam.

"You know what I really hate?" Jake stormed into my dressing room, barely looking at me.

"Uh…hello to you too?" I greeted him flippantly.

He completely ignored me and continued his rant. "Women! They're crazy and they can't make up their minds and just when you think they're really sweet they just – rip your heart right out!" His cheeks flooded with scarlet.

I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled inwardly. _He's _so_ jealous_. I felt a pang of excitement. "Tell me all about it, honey," I pried, feigning genuine interest.

"There's nothing to tell!" he spat angrily. "Remember that girl I told you about last time at school?"

"Why, yes," I batted my eyelashes at him and pretended to be clueless.

"Yeah, well. I hate her! I am done with Miley Stewart _forever_! That girl. Is. Dead to me! I give up!" He threw his arms in the air exasperatedly and stomped out of the room.

Yeah, I'm brilliant all right, I thought sarcastically to myself. Great plan, Stewart.

_Well, on the bright side, there's only three months left of school?_

Three _very_ lo-o-ong months.

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a/n: Poor Miley! She just can't catch a break with this guy! ha, ha. Anyway, sorry it took so long to update! I lost the chapter and had to rewrite it! The next chapter is going to jump a few years to their junior year in high school, because I'd like for them to be older. Please review! They're what keep me writing!

On a side note, make sure you check out the new trailer I made for NQAFT and also for my upcoming fic, Possesion, which is going to be a sort of thriller and I'm really excited about it. The links to them are in my profile. And while you're there, make sure to check out my other two videos on YouTube, one which is a black and white fifties video, and another that's to the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. My account on YouTube is thefastlane12. Ciao bellas (maybe bellos as well?)!


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